For those of you who believe in the message “Make America Great Again”, what year do you last believe America was Great?

Knowing him, I do believe him when he said this was a 100% serious question posed with no intent to argue or denigrate. Just him trying to wrap his mind around this thought and promise made.

You all should know that I just adore this friend of mine and the intellectual challenges he throws out there sometimes.

Meanwhile, I sat back, popped open a can of La Croix with lime and enjoyed the show.

1775

Morally…perhaps 1972…before we made the murdering of babies legal!!! …oh dear…

Black babies in particular. So sad. …oh dear, oh dear…

the 50’s …sigh!

I haven’t been around that long…millennials can be so cute and cuddly sometimes!

When Bill Clinton was president!

Back when it was still under British rule. …here I am hearing Farmer Refuted because, yes, Hamilton is still my jam; and why should a tiny island across the sea regulate the price of tea?

I think it’s always been great.

Just before Nike said just do it.

When John Wayne saved us all. Since Will Smith took over it has seemed a little more brash and in yo face. …I thought that this is one of the reasons why people liked the Republican candidate because that will play well in the global arena fo sure.

America was kinda great from 1880-1940. Then really great 1941-1990 or so. Then 1990-2015 only kinda great again. Now its quickly getting less great. To me great means jobs for everyone, new infrastructure, social cohesion, a positive and upbeat and honest assessment by our leaders and the press. And yes it also includes we must keep the peace when needed overseas. Personally i would like to see the USA take over the entire planet so all humans could live in greatness. Vote Trump, Hillary for Prison. …I might need to retreat back to my bunker…

As I sit here watching The Outlaw Josie Wales I can’t help but think it was not during the”wild west” times. …I’m getting dizzy from the eye rolls y’all

As a white person it’s easy for me to “pick” a date. Honestly, this country has been wrong for so many for so long. Being married to a man of color it is becoming more apparent that huge populations of people have been unjustly treated throughout our country’s history. It makes me sad and I want my kids to be treated fairly on who they are, not because of their ethnicity and skin color. …oof!

Make America one again. and remember the party that supported slavery. oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…

I’m not going to go back into my bunker again just yet even if last night’s speech literally scared the shit out of me. I believe that judging the greatness of America is subjective, kind of like profanity, R-ratings and porn – it depends on who is judging. In the world of the 24-hour news cycle, we are as great or weak as the moment. I’d like to see what the GOP/Trump thinks what is greatness – I fear it could be a time in history where segregation, lack of civil rights for minorities, women and LGBTQ was the norm, and power was based on military might. If that is the case…what makes America great is the power of old, white men – I am scared. Genuinely frightened. But I am not going to go back into my bunker again just yet. November is coming and I most definitely am not going to vote for a candidate that is fueled by fear and hate…or who affectionately pats the ass of his grown daughter...EWWW!!!

Speaking of dads…

This dad will be once again be riding his bicycle across the great state of Iowa because he can. This is his SIXTEENTHRAGBRAI that he will be riding and you know, as long as there is a RAGBRAI and awesome 77 year old fathers who ride in it, along with 8,000 plus riders riding their bikes across the great state of Iowa just because they can, I still have a little hope Because as flawed and messed up as we can be sometimes right now, America is pretty great…as long as we don’t do something as foolish as taking that left at Albuquerque or vote for a platform of hate and fear.

On the day where you find yourself feeling a lot sad and melancholy missing your younger brother gone for the last nine years your youngest brother will call you. You let the call go to voice mail because at the time that he is calling you you are driving up 99 heading home from a very long day at Children’s Hospital Central California with your son. You’re full of Christmas goodwill and love and kindness because singing along to great Christmas music while driving for a few hours fills you up with so much goodwill, love and kindness so you tell yourself you will call him back as soon as you get home. Sure, the last time he spoke to you on the phone it was horrible but it’s Christmas. He’s probably full of the same goodwill, love and kindness you tell yourself.

Um, no.

He might have been as he did say that he was just trying to call me to offer his wishes for a Merry Fucking Christmas, Asshole! I guess my not answering the phone immediately killed it for him.

I am a horrible, horrible person…because I didn’t answer the phone which means I think I’m better than him and I’m a cunt and the worst Christian woman on the planet ever. Even worse I was apparently in tahn, er town, Pittsburgh that is and NOT at Children’s Hospital with my son. I was so says Billy and of course he is right he tells me. I was in Pittsburgh talking shit about him to some skycap…at least that is what my brother tells me. Honestly, how could I not know that I was in Pittsburgh when I thought that I was in Madera. No, he’s not drunk and he is not crazy…he is adrenalyzed. Oh and he is 46-fucking years old and I guess that is my fault too. But he still loves me…he told me so after each time he told me how worthless and useless and disgusting I really am.

My dear, darling, angry, clearly ill brother I refuse to let you hurt me. Well, okay, you have hurt me as you and the rest of the crazy toxic family does in a way that no one else ever could. Still I refuse to let you destroy me or poison my holidays. It’s hard work this year to have Christmas peace, goodwill, love and cheer but I still refuse to let you steal the joy that is mine. You have no right to do so.

I have great kids and a pretty fine husband. Billy-boy, you can’t even begin to imagine the amount of toxicity they can wash away…yours…Mom’s.

The Steelers won yesterday and the ‘Niners killed it tonight at their last regular season game at the ‘stick.

I am blessed with some pretty amazing, dear friends who although are miles and miles and miles away are always there for me when I am at my lowest of low.

Still I answer back: my child comes by his prescription legitimately as it is a medical necessity for him. His physician prescribes it and his insurance provides it. It is not cheap and I certainly would not be injecting it into my little boy every day were it not for the reason that it is medically necessary.

Davon, er, iamthefuturee replies: Sounds like a great parent I completely understand. What does he take it for? & would like to make extra money selling me some?

OMG, WTF!!??

That’s one annoying side effect.

Another is his fingernails grow like crazy…his dirty fingernails.

But he did grow another 1¼ inch this month. So I’ll tolerate the annoying side effects for now.

One of Daniel’s new favorite songs is, yes, What Does The Fox Say. It’s fun he tells me as he tries to teach me the words so we both can sing along together as we do.

What does the fox say?Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! What the fox say?Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! What the fox say?Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! What the fox say?Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! What the fox say?

A friend of mine suggested that the lack of pictures of my grandbabies on the walls of the Big Top is actually the responsibility of their parents…meaning that they should be providing the framed photographs and portraits. I would say true. I always provided lots of portraits of my circus clowns to the grandparents until that one time when that one grandparent asked me not to give anymore pictures. I guess the fact that I have so many kids means that a lot of space is taken by all those pictures I had given in the past. I refuse to believe that the grandparent didn’t want pictures of these adorable children because that would be ridiculous. And so I stopped giving pictures of the kids…more for me to enjoy here under the Big Top! But one of the reasons Hazel and Fallon’s parents aren’t showering me with pictures of these gorgeous pictures is because I am the one who takes pictures of them…all the time. Well, I AM the mamarazzi.

And so we go back to Hazel judging her Mima for not having any pictures of her and Fallon on display here under the Big Top.

Well not anymore!

So now we will discuss why there are no pictures of Mima and Papa in Hazel’s house.